North Carolina | Lumbee Tribe Casino is Now Possible
December 19, 2025
After 137 years of struggle, the Lumbee Tribe has finally received federal recognition, which is the esential prerequisite for owning and operating a casino under the U.S. Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).
[ No Ads ]Lumbee Tribe awaits federal recognition decision - Courtesy of WLOS News 13, Dec 17, 2025. Available from YouTube
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) created the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) to regulate gambling on Indian reservation lands. Reservations have tribal sovereignty and are excluded from state and local jurisdictions.
Federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe establishes the tribe as a sovereign governing entity. The Lumbee can now apply to the Bureau of Indian Affairs within the Department of Interior to begin a trust process to transfer their lands into a reservation and allow the development of a casino.
The Lumbee Tribe lives on land in southeast North Carolina and xtending through Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland, and Scotland counties.
The tribe can now decide whether or not to pursue federal approval of a casino. There is speculation but no official announcement has yet been made.
